Outlier vs. Lululemon: Which brand should you buy? [2026 updated]

While both brands sit in the premium activewear market, Outlier focuses on hard-wearing technical apparel with a minimalist, utilitarian aesthetic, using innovative and highly durable fabrics. Conversely, Lululemon excels in crafting comfortable, stylish athleisure and yoga wear known for its proprietary soft fabrics and trend-conscious designs.

Let's compare everything you need to know to choose the right performance apparel for your closet.

Outlier: The Innovator of Technical Apparel

Outlier is a New York-based brand celebrated for its commitment to technical innovation, minimalist design, and extreme durability. They cater to urban professionals, cyclists, travelers, and outdoor enthusiasts who need versatile clothing that performs under pressure without sacrificing style. Their core philosophy is creating functional apparel that lives up to the rigors of city life and outdoor adventures.

• Product mix: The brand is best known for its technical pants, but also offers a focused collection of shirts, outerwear like jackets and merino wool hoodies, and accessories.
• Price point: Outlier sits at a high-end price point. Expect to pay between $150 and $300 for pants, with specialty outerwear items costing more.
• Quality: Quality is Outlier's signature. They use cutting-edge fabrics that are often waterproof, highly breathable, moisture-wicking, and incredibly resilient. The construction is top-notch, with reinforced seams designed for longevity.
• Style: The aesthetic is understated, utilitarian, and sleek. You'll find a color palette dominated by neutral tones like black, grey, and olive, emphasizing function and clean lines.
• Sizing/Fit: Sizing is generally reported as true to size. The brand provides detailed fit guides for each product, as the cut is thoughtfully designed for movement and function.
• Sustainability: Outlier places a strong emphasis on transparency and sustainability, often using eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing practices.

Choose Outlier for long-lasting, high-performance pieces built with advanced materials that seamlessly transition from a bike commute to the boardroom.

Shop Outlier: outlier.cc

Lululemon: The Leader in Stylish Athleisure

Lululemon is a globally recognized powerhouse that defined the athleisure category. Famous for making super-soft yoga pants a wardrobe essential, the brand has built a loyal following among yoga practitioners, gym-goers, and anyone who values comfort and style. They focus on empowering a healthy, active lifestyle with gear that looks as good as it feels.

• Product mix: Lululemon offers a vast range of products for women and men, including their famous leggings, sports bras, tops, shorts, joggers, jackets, accessories, and a growing footwear line.
• Price point: Lululemon is a premium brand, with core items like leggings and joggers priced between $80 and $150. While not cheap, it's generally more accessible than Outlier.
• Quality: The brand's quality is centered around its proprietary fabrics like Nulu™ (famously soft and used in Align™ pants), Luon™ (the original material), and Everlux™ (fast-drying for intense workouts). Garments are well-made and hold up to frequent use.
• Style: Lululemon's aesthetic is modern, versatile, and trend-aware. They offer a mix of neutral colors and bold, seasonal patterns, with sleek silhouettes that work equally well in the studio or on the street.
• Shopping Experience: With a seamless website and a strong brick-and-mortar retail presence, Lululemon creates a community feel through in-store events, fitness classes, and personalized service.
• Sizing/Fit: Known for highly consistent sizing that is true to size for most products. Many items, particularly leggings, offer a snug, body-hugging fit designed to move with you.

Lululemon is the go-to for incredibly comfortable, stylish, and functional activewear perfect for workouts and everyday life.

Shop Lululemon: shop.lululemon.com

Outlier vs. Lululemon Comparison

Price Comparison

There is a clear price difference between the two brands. Outlier sits definitively in the luxury technical apparel space, with technical pants often starting around $150 and climbing to $300. Their focus is on creating lifetime investment pieces, and their pricing reflects the advanced materials and construction. They also rarely run major sales.

Lululemon, while still premium, operates at a more accessible price point. Their popular leggings typically range from $98 to $128, and a full gym outfit can be assembled for less than a single pair of Outlier pants. Lululemon also has a "We Made Too Much" section with consistent markdowns.

Quality &, Materials

Both brands produce high-quality apparel, but their materials are engineered for different purposes. Outlier is a materials-first company. Their strength lies in sourcing or developing textiles with specific technical properties - four-way stretch, water resistance, abrasion resistance, and breathability. These are fabrics designed to handle changing weather, active commutes, and years of hard wear.

Lululemon’s reputation is built on its signature proprietary fabrics like Nulu™, known for its "buttery soft" feel, and Everlux™, designed for fast-drying performance during hot, sweaty workouts. The focus is on next-to-skin comfort, unrestricted movement, and moisture management for athletic activity.

Style &, Aesthetic

Outlier's aesthetic is minimalist, tech-focused, and utilitarian. It’s a "buy it for life" ethos with an almost anti-fashion look that prioritizes function above all else. Colors are muted and designs are clean, allowing the pieces to blend into a variety of professional and casual wardrobes.

Lululemon is much more in tune with modern fashion trends. Their style is vibrant and versatile, embracing seasonal colors, eye-catching patterns, and sleek silhouettes. It is designed to be seen, transitioning seamlessly from a spin class to brunch. Lululemon has become the unofficial uniform for the modern, active lifestyle.

Fit &, Sizing

Both brands have a reputation for consistent, true-to-size products. Outlier provides meticulous, detailed measurements on their product pages, catering to a customer who cares deeply about a precise fit for performance. Their cuts are often structured and tailored.

Lululemon is famous for its compressive yet comfortable, body-hugging fits, particularly in its pants and tops. Their sizing is consistent across their broad range of products, making online shopping reliable. They also offer a wider array of sizes and inseam options to serve a larger audience.

Shopping Experience

The shopping experiences are a direct reflection of their brand philosophies. Outlier operates almost exclusively online as a direct-to-consumer brand. Their website is clean, technical, and full of information about fabric technology, sourcing, and fit. It's an educational experience for a customer who researches before buying.

Lululemon offers a polished omnichannel experience. Their physical stores are key to their strategy, fostering community with free yoga classes and expert staff known as "educators." Their website is easy to navigate, with styling inspiration and a vast selection.

Sustainability &, Ethics

Both companies are investing in sustainability, but approach it differently. Outlier integrates it into their core identity, frequently highlighting their use of eco-friendly materials like merino wool and ethical production based in the U.S. and Portugal. Transparency feels central to their brand.

Lululemon has outlined public goals for reducing its environmental impact and using more sustainable materials. As a much larger corporation, they have faced more scrutiny regarding supply chain transparency but have shown a commitment to improving their practices through various initiatives.

Which One Should You Choose?

Both Outlier and Lululemon are excellent brands, but they serve different customers with distinct needs.

Choose Outlier if:

• You need true performance gear for cycling, travel, or demanding outdoor conditions.
• You value durability and longevity and are willing to invest in an item that will last for years.
• You prefer a minimalist, understated style focused on neutral colors and functional design.
• Fabric technology and innovative textiles are important deciding factors for you.

Choose Lululemon if:

• Your primary activities are yoga, running, and gym workouts.
• You prioritize next-to-skin softness, comfort, and stretch above all else.
• You enjoy a fashion-forward, athleisure look with seasonal colors and versatile styles.
• You prefer the option of trying clothes on in a physical store and appreciate a community-focused brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Outlier or Lululemon more expensive?

Outlier is significantly more expensive. Most of their core products, like pants, retail for between $150 and $300, while Lululemon's best-selling items are typically in the $80 to $150 range.

Which brand is better for hiking and outdoor activities?

Outlier is the superior choice for serious hiking and outdoor activities. Their fabrics are specifically designed to be abrasion-resistant, water-resistant, and highly durable, making them better suited for rugged conditions.

Which brand is better for yoga and gym workouts?

Lululemon is the clear winner for yoga and most gym workouts. Their proprietary fabrics like Nulu™ and Everlux™ are unrivaled for their combination of softness, stretch, and moisture-wicking capabilities, providing ultimate comfort during exercise.

Does Outlier have physical stores?

No, Outlier primarily sells direct-to-consumer through its website. This contrasts with Lululemon, which has a widespread global presence with hundreds of brick-and-mortar retail stores.

How does the sizing compare between Outlier and Lululemon?

Both brands generally run true to size. Outlier focuses on a more tailored, structured fit, while Lululemon is known for its form-fitting, compressive stretch that hugs the body.

What style is Outlier known for?

Outlier is known for a minimalist, technical, and utilitarian aesthetic. Its style is often described as "techwear," blending high-performance features into clothing that can be worn in everyday urban environments.

Is Lululemon's quality worth the price?

For many customers, yes. Lululemon's quality comes from its unique, proprietary fabrics that maintain their shape, feel, and performance after many washes. While premium-priced, the comfort and versatility are key selling points that create loyal fans.

Which brand is more sustainable?

Both brands have sustainability initiatives, but Outlier makes it a more central part of its small-batch identity, often detailing fabric origins and ethical manufacturing. Lululemon, as a larger company, is also working on these areas but operates on a much larger scale.